On Sunday, President Trump addressed the issue of tariffs aboard Air Force One. He emphasized the need for a fair agreement with Beijing and made rare criticisms by saying that engaging with the Chinese Communist Party was the worst decision made by former U.S. President Richard Nixon.
During his time aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump discussed the current state of U.S.-China trade. He stated, “Right now, we’re not dealing with China at all because the tariffs are too high. They can’t do business, basically. Because of this, we’re saving billions, you know?”
In order to push China to the negotiating table, Trump imposed tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods, effectively severing the trade relationship between the two countries.
“I hope to reach a fair deal with China. China (the CCP) has been extorting us for years. So maybe we should take some measures in response, you know, a little bit of retaliation. China (the CCP) has been extorting us for years,” said Trump. “In my opinion, this is the worst thing (President Richard) Nixon has ever done. I know, once again, it was him (Nixon) who got us started (with contact with the CCP).”
Nixon visited China in 1972, becoming the first U.S. head of state to visit China after the Communist Party took power. The trip, which ended the long-standing isolation and hostile posture between the U.S. and China, was dubbed the “Ice-breaking Trip” and ushered in an era of contact between the two countries. The U.S. officially established diplomatic relations with China in 1979.
Following the establishment of diplomatic relations, the U.S. and China signed bilateral trade agreements, with the U.S. granting China Most Favored Nation status, laying the foundation for China’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. In recent years, the U.S. government has consistently criticized China for violating WTO principles.
In July 2020, then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a speech at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California. He said, “The engagement policy we have been pursuing has not brought about the changes that President Nixon hoped for in China.” The State Department under Pompeo’s leadership concluded that the U.S.’s decades-long engagement policy toward China had failed.
President Trump stated on Sunday that the U.S. is holding trade negotiations with many countries, including China, and his top priority is to ensure a fair agreement with China.
The President also discussed trade talks with other countries. When asked if he would announce a trade agreement this week, Trump said “very likely,” but he did not disclose any details.
He also indicated that he expects the U.S. not to reach agreements with some countries but may instead “set certain tariffs” on these trade partners in the next two to three weeks. It is currently unclear whether he was referring to the retaliatory tariffs announced on April 2, which are set to take effect on July 8 after a 90-day suspension.